Archives

BE LUCKY IN LOVE

Do you sometimes feel that true love only happens to other people? If you’ve had dating disasters or relationships which have failed in the past, it’s easy to start seeing yourself as someone who’s just not meant to be in a couple. Perhaps partners have criticised you, perhaps your friends tell you that you’re just great by yourself, perhaps even your family have given up on your chances of finding The One. If you’ve lost your self-confidence for whatever reason, here’s how to improve your chances.

1. Re-set your clock

Many of us feel we’ve left it too late to find love, if we find ourselves single over the age of 45 – sometimes even 35, sometimes even 30! This expectation is often caused by feeling that you should be following your parents’ example. If you grew up with parents who met and married in their twenties, being single when you’re over 30 can feel slightly scary, as if you’ve wandered away from your “script”. If that’s true for you, take a fresh look at your situation. You might be looking for love later in life, but that simply means you’ve spent your time doing other things aside from dating – focussing on your career, travelling, socialising, looking after others – that will boost your value to a new partner. Think of the experiences you will bring to a relationship! Most of us want a partner who can be supportive and understanding, and that’s often only gained through past experience. Also, people in your age group will have similar backgrounds and will love that you have this in common.

2. Improve your Connections

Be honest – are you making an effort to interact with new people? Many of us get into the habit of being slightly closed-off from new people after a period of being alone. We are reluctant to start conversations with strangers, we avoid eye-contact – subconsciously we “go about our business” in a solitary manner. Even when we go shopping we put our heads down and get it done as fast as possible. If that rings a bell with you, begin to move out of your comfort zone by being more open with new people. Chat to your supermarket cashier, smile at people on the train, start conversations in a bar. It’s not just that it will boost your confidence – research has shown that our interaction with strangers is FAR more positive than how we interact with old friends. Reluctant to burden people with problems, we minimise our negativity and make an effort to be light-hearted. This is flirting at its most basic level. Try it! You’ll be surprised how it changes your image of yourself.

3. Have a plan

At DATECLUB we believe in the power of “making love happen”. When you take a proactive approach to finding a new relationship, magic begins. Before you write your Speed Dating online profile , REALLY think about what you have to offer a partner. Don’t think about material assets, think about your heart. Are you thoughtful, able to anticipate things that would make someone smile? Are you physically demonstrative, a good kisser, great at dancing? You have a lot to give, believe that. And keep believing it as you begin dating again. Don’t give up! You may have to attend a few events before you meet that 'special someone'. Or, if you're lucky, it might just take one. We hear about success stories all the time! And if it does happen, please write and tell us. We can’t wait to hear your story....